Katherine Zappone Envoy Gig

This is Leo V, with a bit of help from his media friends in the Indo who are more than willing to help out, attempting to undermine and discredit his biggest rival within the party for any future leadership within FG.

Imagine a guy trying to use his relationship with elements of the Irish media to damage Simon C so to improve his standing and reputation within the party and the public at large.

That to me is a sign of a power grab. This is extremely dangerous territory for politics here. Leo V already has a criminal investigation against leaking a confidential document to another person. As someone said here earlier, it’s a pity that he wasn’t so forthcoming with such txts and messages when the whole “LeoTheLeak” fiasco and indeed the apt of Seamus Woulfe to the court of Justice episodes came into the public and political domain. Don’t forget his attendance at the Merrion bash too. And add the humiliating defeat in the DBS By Election.

He knows that his popularity is slipping along with his party. He saw an opportunity with Zapponegate to use it as an attempt to score points on Simon C and used the Indo and his links there with the paper, to portray SC as a liar and not trustworthy.

The Tanaiste is playing a very cute game, it’s cynical and outright dirty, but knows that it can hurt and potentially be fatal for Simon C’s standing within FG and the wider public.

I despise Leo V and FG full stop. But in fairness this is making for really good Hollywood style movie. It will be very interesting how all this will play out in the coming days ahead.

And with party colleague Charlie Flanagan now writing to Simon C, about inaccuracies in his appearance at the Foreign Affairs committee yesterday, there is plenty of life left in this story to come.

As political skullduggery geos,ya have to admire varadkar,hes a dab hand at it......leader of party styles itself 'law and order' (puke),under criminal investigation has managed to politically knife his main rivils internally

Ousted kate oconnell and likely cost em a seat,ended her career,Simon harris has gone from minister of good news,to been exposed,as a leaker to worse extent than varadkar and now has effectively ended the career of one of finest politians on the scene in ireland,covoney is realistically headed to europe in next few years

Certainly interesting times for the blueshirts,but i think without covoney,they'll struggle to maintain their rural base and no amount of screaming shinner/troubles will keep em onboard,its a demographic ripe for picking,if soc dems want it

Kate o connell,covoney is good as finished and harris will likely limp out in an election or two,eoghan murphy quickly sidelined to obsurity and gone

I make no secret of a dislike of corruption,but varadkar has no immediate internal challenger within his party

Simon covoney is undountfully a fine politian,i wouldnt be a ffg supporter at min....but yous want to be particularly blinded by partisanship to not acknowledge this

Its difficult to believe people are actually taking this claim seriously,....the text message exchange deosnt seem real to me

Perhaps zappone could release her side of things🤔